If you still don’t know what it is, just look at the picture to give yourself an idea of what it looks like. Actually, not many people wear them in their daily life these days, but they are often still used as traditional clothing for festivals (祭り/まつり/matsuri) and such. If you want to learn more about festivals guys that wear fundoshi, take a look at this earlier post about the Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival)!

[box type="alert"]Be warned – there are a handful of butts to be seen in this post. If you are butt-shy, look away now![/box]

Series of Fundoshi Posters Theft

Japanese people are never in short supply of absurd news stories reaching their television sets and an odd piece on the fundoshi was recently reported. Someone in the Shinsekai (新世界) district of Osaka repeatedly stole posters containing the image of a man wearing fundoshi underwear.

The B2 size (approx 20×28 inches) posters are made for a town renewal project for the area. As for the fundoshi part, an actual piece of white cloth was attached to the poster and the phrase, “If you choke it off at its root, then it’ll never grow and develop” (締め付けてちゃ 下は育たない/shimetsuketecha shitawasodatanai) was printed on it.

According to MSN-Sankei-West, it was discovered by a police officer that one of the fundoshi posters went missing on April 10th.  Over the next three days it was found that several of the other posters were removed from other areas, as well. The people in the area wondered in their Osaka dialect, “なんでやろ(nandeyaro)?” -Why?

To be honest, I became rather curious as well. Who stole the posters? A man? A woman? A group? And for what reason? Because they look funny? Or, because they were so attractive? I was compelled to look into it online, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any answers. However, I did successfully, and rather unexpectedly, come across a news story regarding the fundoshi and how it is becoming more popular among WOMEN – I wrote that in caps so you would know it wasn’t a typo.

Fundoshi Underwear for Female Boom

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, fundoshi underwear was originally designed for men. However, it seems that fundoshi for women, called ‘SHARE-FUN’, started being sold last December. Share-fun is an abbreviation of osharena-fundoshi, which means fashionable fundoshi. Plus Charming Company’s cute new take on the classic, yet comfortable, fundoshi has caused women to take notice as the company sold every last item (over 800 pieces) during the month of February.

According to Keiji Nakagawa, the head of Japan Fundoshi Association, the secret of its success was not only in its fashionable design but also in its health benefits. Compared to typical underwear, which usually contains an elastic band, a fundoshi can provide a more free and comfortable feeling. It is also said that the lack of tightness encourages better blood and/or lymph circulation and prevents swelling in the legs as well as menstrual irregularity.

On the other hand, conventional underwear that is too tight for you could be very dangerous. Not only could it cause inflammation around your waist or upper legs or other forms of stress, but can also prolong unpleasant candidiasis or colpitis. He suggests that wearing a fundoshi, instead of normal underwear, can make these symptoms milder.

Now, the Sharefun is not only catching on in Japan, but in European countries as well. I found an online review by a woman who tried Sharefun in the UK. The following is an excerpt from a blog called Cherryful.

I have been wearing the Sharefun fundoshi for a week now and I love it! I was apprehensive at first, thinking the linen material would not stretch and therefore feel tight, but due to the way the fundoshi is worn, this is not an issue at all. It is easily and quickly adjustable to fit a variety of shapes and sizes, and it suits me fine. My privates feel very free and natural during walking and sitting for long periods. Linen is also very cool during the summer heat. All in all, an excellent product and something that has made me change the way I look at underwear.

Pandoru Shorts

Fundoshi are pretty cool, eh? However, obviously some women didn’t like the sound of the name ‘fundoshi’ so they spent some time contemplating what a suitable name for the female version would be. They came upon the French word ‘pendre’ which translates to ‘droop’ in English and now fundoshi for women are also called ‘pandoru shorts’.

They didn’t simply change its name into a cuter one, they also created a more fashionable version graced with an array of pretty designs. There is even a fundoshi fashioned like a frilled apron, which is made with lace and has a little bow tie on it.

According to Tokyo Sports Newspaper, this fundoshi boom among women was triggered by a Sexy Japanese Model, 壇蜜 (Dan Mitsu), who wore fundoshi to her 32nd birthday party at Roboto restaurant. Tight underwear is like a big smile because it makes your cheeks go up! But really, fundoshi is like an even bigger smile, isn’t it?

Mitsu also received an award at the Second Annual Fundoshist Awards, which was held by the Japan Fundoshi Association on January 31st. Although the calendar of Japanese actress Rie Miyazawa wearing fundoshi sold more than 300,000 copies 24 years ago, it never triggered a boom such as this.

Fundoshi Items

Up to now, you have learned that this fun, cool, comfortable, and healthy underwear is rising in popularity throughout Japan, not only for women, of course, but for men as well. So now fundoshi are for anyone who has some consideration for their nether-regions – that basically means everybody. That being said, I’m sure you won’t be surprised that even Hello Kitty has been spotted wearing a fundoshi.

Although these products were banned because they didn’t have permission to use the regional name printed on the products, we can at least say there was one occasion when Hello Kitty had actually shown off her butt. How cool is that? Well, it’s not over yet. Sylvanian Families (シルバニアファミリー, Shirubania famirī) wear the fundoshi as well.

If you want to see more, check out here.

So, more and more people/characters are beginning to like fundoshi. Someone even came up a golf ball set where the golf tees are shaped like men and women wearing fundoshi.

How to Wear Fundoshi Underwear

Do any of you want to try this Japanese underwear? For those of you who do want to try putting it on, I’m going to give you step by step instructions. Just as a side note, I’d like you all to know that it wasn’t my intention to have this article sound like one large advertisement.

First, get your own fundoshi, which is about 6-10” wide and 92-96” in length and made of a lightweight fabric that is usually cotton.

Second, drape one end of the cloth over either shoulder or grip it with your mouth and let the other end drop to the floor. Hold it against your private parts with your other hand.

Third, hold the fundoshi with one hand and pull the other end of it so that it runs underneath and between the buttocks. Next, twist the fundoshi to the point that is resembles a braided rope.

Fourth, wrap it around your waist until the length of fabric is once again resting in front of you. Direct it back underneath your buttocks again. Pull firmly to tighten.

Fifth, wrap the fundoshi all the way around the waist to secure it.

Sixth, release the other end from your shoulder or mouth and pull it between your legs. Pull it firmly between your buttocks to form another covering layer, but not too hard.

Finally, twist and wrap it around the other side of the waist. Loop it under the existing cords making sure that the back view has a ‘T’ shape and not ‘Y’ shape. Then pull it across to the other side and twist it several times under the length around your waist to secure it.

Well, how does it fit? Don’t worry if you need to try it again. Apparently, it’s not uncommon to do it many times before you’re good at it. However, if you find that it is far too difficult for you, there is actually a magic tool that allows you to wear a fundoshi right away.

Fundoshi Camera

February 14th is not only Valentine’s Day, it’s also national Fundoshi Day in Japan when everyone enjoys and celebrates the fundoshi. This day was actually created by the Japan Fundoshi Association. In order to let more people try fundoshi on Fundoshi Day this year, the association planned a secret event one day before Fundoshi Day.

They released a brand new app called ‘Fundoshi Camera’, which lets you superimpose a fundoshi onto whomever you choose without the hassle of actually finding a fundoshi and learning how to put it on.

Are you going to get the app? Go ahead and enjoy your own fundoshi! Me? Well… I want to, but I guess I need to get an iPhone first. Have any interesting fundoshi/underwear related stories? BRIEFly share them in the comments below!

If you haven’t yet, you should check out the post on the gadgetry I’ll be bringing. If you don’t like gadgets, or just like clothes and backpacks a lot, though, you should stay. It’s about to get… clothesy.

In the post on gadgetry, I linked directly to the things I bought. In this one, though, I’m just going to give you a general idea of everything. You’ll still be able to use this info to buy clothes of your own, if you’re going on a similar trip, but since clothes are so personal, I thought the info on why I bought what would be more useful to more people. That said, let’s start at the feet.

The Feet

No matter what, if you’re walking long distances, your feet are going to hurt, period. First, you should get some comfortable shoes. Don’t get expensive hiking shoes because they’re expensive hiking shoes. It doesn’t matter how fancy or expensive they are if they don’t feel good on your feet. When you put them on in store, they should feel really good… because they’re going to start hurting once you walk in them a long ways. I got shoes that felt awesome, and added some new soles to them to increase the support. They feel great, but I’m still expecting some kind of foot pain to develop. I’ll let you know how things are in the actual episodes of TofuguTV, I’m sure, though.

For socks, I got socks with Merino Wool. Merino wool is great for wicking away moisture and keeping your feet warm when it’s cold, and cool when it’s warm. They also don’t have as much friction as cotton socks, meaning you’ll be less likely to get blisters. Whatever you do, though, I wouldn’t recommend cotton. They take too long to dry, they don’t have as much support, and they will give you blisters and foot pain much sooner. Shell out a little extra for socks and you’ll thank yourself.

The Legs

For pants, I didn’t want anything too thick, and I wanted to stay versatile. I got thin and medium thickness synthetic pants. They’re going to be pretty cool, and won’t provide a ton of warmth. Luckily, as long as I’m walking around a lot, my legs should keep warm. If they don’t, I have some long underwear for that.

I got a medium and light thickness long underwear. I figure if I really need warmth, I can double up on them. I think getting too warm is going to be more of a problem than being too cold (at least, I hope it is). Doing a combo of long underwear and thin, synthetic pants has some great benefits, too. First off, when I wash either of them, they’ll dry quickly (jeans and other thicker materials would take forever to dry). Plus, the pants are kind of water resistant, and that’s nice.

The Upper Body

The upper body is going to be the most important thing, I think. I have a long sleeved long underwear shirt to wear (supposedly I can wear it a lot, too, without it getting smelly… good for traveling!). On top of that, I’ll have some regular tshirts (3 or 4), and a fleece sweater that zips up and has a hood plus mouth cover. On top of that, I’ll probably wear a really thin rain jacket. This doesn’t provide a ton of insulation (it helps), but it’ll keep me from getting wet if that problem ever arises. If it gets really cold, I have a down jacket to put on over the fleece and under the rain jacket. Down is the way to go, if you want to stay warm, apparently. If I get stuck outside at night, or something like that, I’ll be wearing the down jacket and putting my feet in my backpack. Don’t want to get hypothermic. Then again, I could probably find a bar that’s open late and hang out there until the wee hours of the morning, worst case scenario.

The Head

For my head, I just have my hoods and a knit cap. I think that’ll be enough, especially with the hoods. My fleece sweater also zips up to cover my mouth, so most of my face and head can be protected.

The Backpack

I didn’t want to bring a huge backpack (you know, the ones you see mountain climbers carrying, and stuff). I purposely chose clothes that take up almost no room and are super light – I’d rather be mobile than have a week’s worth of clothing. My backpack is a 65L Eagle Creek Thrive, and I gotta say, it’s awesome. 45 of those liters are the main backpack. The other 20 or so are a travel pack that attaches to the backpack. I’m hoping to mostly just use the main backpack, and leave the travel pack empty for random things I pick up along the way. It should carry everything I need to carry, be comfortable, and make the load on my back a little more pleasant. I’d highly recommend this bag to anyone who wants to travel for long periods of time (and are planning on traveling light). Definitely beats a suitcase, or something like that.

The Video

If you want to see specifically what I got, you can watch this video. Warning: it is kind of boring… kind of.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adyYOksx-Po']

Anyways, any pro trekkers out there noticing something I’m missing, clothes-wise? Hopefully this will cover almost any situation I get in, without having to carry too much. Should be good. Anyways, I’m sure I’ll tell you what’s working and what isn’t on the actual TofuguTV episodes, which will start coming out in January! Woo hoo!

P.S. Two posts in one day? Heck yeah.

P.P.S. Two videos in one day? What’s going on? Seriously… I have no idea. Happy Thanksgiving, to those of you who celebrate it today, too.

Poll-related things should be left to our friends over at WhatJapanThinks, but I couldn’t help myself on this one. Uniqlo, a super-cheap clothing store chain, came out with this website, which is probably 80% about bras, but also throw in a few other questions as well. At the top-left of the screen there’s a question (also translated into English right underneath), and everywhere else is a cacophony Japanese women answering questions. You can even click on them to find out more, or see what someone has to say about the question being asked.

It looks like Uniqlo gathered a couple hundred women, and asked around 15 questions, which they answered on video (click on one of them to see your response). On the bottom left, there are a few options that let you narrow things down. Things like age, body type, bra size, and height are all options.

In the bottom right, there is the option to change things to “English.” It doesn’t change what the people are saying, but it does provide subtitles for you, as well as changes some other things to English as well.

Perhaps the most interesting part is the ability to click on people as they fly by, to see their response to a particular question. Although questions seem to change randomly, you can usually get a few clicks in before it changes to something else. There aren’t a ton of questions, so it’s pretty easy to loop around, and the feature that lets you narrow people down makes it more manageable (you’ll see what I mean when you visit the site).

Want to check out this page of pure graphical data? Click here (and yes, it is completely safe for work…suspiciously safe.)

To remedy that, I’ve started browsing fashion/shopping websites for shopping and dressing inspiration; below is the list of those websites. Though many of the stores don’t ship internationally, most of them have really good “Coordination/Cordi” tips in their item descriptions.

I hope this will be of use to some of you! I’ve neglected to do a fashion post recently, so this is my attempt to make up for that. Oh—this list has both men and women‘s fashion sites, in case you were wondering . More boys have asked me about fashion on this site than girls, actually D:

Street Style Websites:

Fashion Snap 1000 (Japanese; men and women)
Japanese Street Fashion (Japanese; men and women)
Tokyo Neo Style (Japanese; men and women)
Trends in Japan | Fashion (Japanese, men and women)
Street Peeper (International, men and women)

Online Shops:

YesStyle (Korean/Japanese/European brands; men’s and women’s clothing)
Sibuya (Korean and Japanese brands; many unisex t-shirts)
Asia Jam (Asian-style clothing; women’s clothing only)
VintageHwan (Korean brand; men’s clothing only)

These jeans aren’t held up with buttons or belts, but with two little strings and maybe some double-sided tape. The “bikini” portion stops just short of your woman (or man, if you’re extra-daring) parts, exposing a good third of your ass. What this means is that no real underwear can be worn with these pants… but if you’re the kind who would buy these, chances are good that you don’t wear underwear in the first place. Also, notice the zipper. It’s not in the front, as that would make too much sense, but on the side, allowing for an extra couple inches of visible skin.

Sadly, there are no pockets in these jeans, but no worries! Stuff a wad of cash in your bra and stick your car keys down next to your crotch–you’ll be good to go because you’re just that classy.

Is my absolute hatred of these jeans apparent yet?

Hopefully my sarcasm is as overtly blunt as I think it is, because honestly, Ultra Low-Rise Denim Bikini Pants are an affront to all woman-kind. If I saw a woman walking around in these I would punch her in the ovaries (which would be, conveniently, visible).

Picture Source: Sanna’s Brazil Fashion